During Saturday’s MF & DAZN X Series 20 event in Manchester, England, YouTube star KSI announced that his next opponent would be Wayne Bridge, a 44-year-old retired professional footballer who played for both Chelsea and Manchester City during his 16-year career. The two are expected to compete in an exhibition boxing bout later this year, though no official date has been revealed.
The announcement was met with significant criticism from fight fans, many of them lambasting KSI for picking an opponent 13 years older than him. Especially after the YouTube star has spent so much of his time trash-talking ‘The Problem Child‘ for doing the exact same thing.
That didn’t sit well with users online who were quick to share their disdain for KSI’s choice of opponent, many of them coming to the defense of Jake Paul.
While Bridge is not a complete novice when it comes to stepping inside the boxing ring, his experience is quite limited. His only fight thus far came via a charity bout against Made in Chelsea star Spencer Matthews in 2018, which he won via unanimous decision.
In comparison, KSI has won five of his six career fights, the most recent being a unanimous decision defeat to Tommy Fury in October 2023.
The Irish megastar hasn’t stepped foot inside the Octagon for more than three years, but that hasn’t stopped him from calling out pretty much anyone and everyone under the sun. After picking a fight with Ilia Topuria while in the UFC featherweight champion’s home country, McGregor declared himself ready to scrap with YouTube star KSI.
His reason for wanting to do so? the YouTuber’s recently released song ‘Thick of It‘ featuring rapper Trippie Redd.
“Let’s go, mate.” McGregor said when asked about fighting KSI. “I’ll fight him for that bulls*it song he released alone! I’ll fight him for that f*cking song alone. We’re back baby!”
You can listen to the song for yourself below:
KSI only has two professional boxing bouts
While a majority of KSI’s boxing bouts have been exhibition fights, he does have two professional contests to his credit. The first being a split decision win against his Prime Water business partner Logan Paul.
Four years later, he dawned the 10-ounce gloves for a scrap with boxer turned reality TV star Tommy Fury in October 2023. ‘TNT’ won the fight via unanimous decision, much to the chagrin of his countryman.
Turki Alalshikh has zero interest in promoting a fight between Jake Paul and KSI. Alalshikh, Chairman of the General…
Turki Alalshikh has zero interest in promoting a fight between Jake Paul and KSI.
Alalshikh, Chairman of the General Entertainment Authority in Saudi Arabia, has put his stamp on the sport of boxing in recent years by booking some of the biggest bouts fight fans have been clamoring to see. Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk, Anthony Joshua’s recent scraps with Francis Ngannou and Daniel Dubois, and the upcoming clash between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol, just to name a few.
In February 2023, Saudi Arabia also played host to Jake Paul’s showdown with Tommy Fury, though it sounds like His Excellency is not chomping at the bit to get back into business with ‘The Problem Child’ anytime soon.
Addressing the possibility of a long-rumored fight between Paul and fellow YouTube star KSI going down in The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Alalshikh made it clear that he’s only interested in hosting another Paul fight once the 27-year-old decides to become a real boxer.
“I think he doesn’t like me right now and hasn’t for the past two months,” Alalshikh said. “I’ll be honest, I like him as part of the younger generation, and he has a lot of fans. My kids are among them. But I think he needs to decide what he really wants. “If he wants to be a real boxer, he needs to take on big fights against boxers, not treat it like a show. That’s my opinion because it’s damaging to boxing. I know he doesn’t like this, especially what I said about his last fight. I said it wasn’t boxing, and I’m not joking.
“If he wants to continue in this field and be part of Riyadh Season, he needs to fight real boxers. That’s my opinion. If he does that, I’ll support him.” When asked if he would ever support a fight between the two social media stars, Alalshikh said: “No, I would never support something like that, even if it’s popular with people. I do boxing, not shows” (h/t Manchester Evening News).
Turki Alalshikh has no interest in the Influencer boxing scene
Alalshikh did make it clear that his objection is not just with Jake Paul, but with the entire influencer boxing scene. In short, Alalkshikh wants no part of it.
“Please, we don’t want any YouTuber fights again. I don’t talk about names. I want fighters, real fighters. This is what I support. For me, inside my heart, I want the fighters.”
Aside from the light heavyweight title fight between Beterbiev and Bivol at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Alalshikh will also deliver the highly anticipated rematch between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk on Saturday, December 21 in the Saudi Arabian capital.
The first time around, Usyk scored a split decision over ‘The Gyspy King’ to become boxing’s first unified heavyweight world champion in more than two decades.
I have some important news to share and I wanted you to hear it directly from me. The fight with Slim and AT is off. I have been battling with an injury (not my toe lol) since I began training for this fight and unfortunately this has worsened during camp which is…
“Hey everyone, I have some important news to share and I wanted you to hear it directly from me. The fight with Slim and AT is off. I have been battling with an injury (not my toe lol) since I began training for this fight and unfortunately this has worsened during camp which is why you haven’t seen my usual enthusiasm. Despite my best efforts to push through the pain, it has reached a point where I can no longer spar or even hit pads or do bag work,” KSI wrote.
“On my doctor’s orders, I have been advised to withdraw from Misfits 017 at the 3Arena in Dublin on August 31st. I know this might be disappointing for many of you, and I hate letting you down. However, I will be taking some time out to rest, so I can get back into the ring as soon as possible. Rest assured, I’ll be back soon: fitter; stronger; healthier and ready for any challenge,” KSI added.
KSI threw a subtle jab at Conor McGregor in his statement saying he did not pull out due to his toe injury. Of course, the Irishman was forced out of his UFC 303 scrap against Michael Chandler due to a broken pinky toe.
Conor McGregor even responded to KSI’s post saying no one cares that he had to pull out of his boxing match with an injury.
Conor McGregor and KSI have a little rivalry as the YouTuber has said he wants to fight the Irishman in the future.
McGregor is one of the biggest stars in combat sports, and the Irishman has also shown interest in fighting KSI. But, McGregor called for the fight to be in BKFC.
“I know your man KSI is in the crowd, yeah? And he couldn’t box eggs if he worked in an egg boxing factory,” McGregor exclaimed. “So if he wants to get in here, I’ll give him a final — bare-knuckle, if he wants.”
However, it does seem unlikely that KSI would do a bare-knuckle fight against McGregor. But, perhaps the two will end up boxing each other in the future.
Ariel Helwani recently floated the idea of online personality KSI (real name Olajide Olayinka Williams Olatunji) as the next potential opponent for Jorge Masvidal following his defeat to Nate Diaz in their boxing match. This past Saturday, Masvidal came up short on the judges’ scorecards in a rematch of their Octagon clash from UFC 244 […]
Ariel Helwani recently floated the idea of online personality KSI (real name Olajide Olayinka Williams Olatunji) as the next potential opponent for Jorge Masvidal following his defeat to Nate Diaz in their boxing match.
This past Saturday, Masvidal came up short on the judges’ scorecards in a rematch of their Octagon clash from UFC 244 in November 2019. This time, the bout took place in a professional boxing ring, headlining a pay-per-view event at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California.
After a showdown marked by intense, back-and-forth action, two of the three judges awarded the victory to Diaz with scores of 98-92 and 97-93. The third judge, however, saw it as a dead heat, scoring the fight a 95-95 draw.
Following the loss, the former BMF titleholder contended that he had done enough to secure the victory and claimed that the judges were prejudiced against him. Although Masvidal immediately called for a rematch, Diaz promptly dismissed this request during the post-event press conference.
“Gamebred” has previously mentioned that he has a three-fight contract with Fanmio, granting him the opportunity to pursue high-profile boxing matches. Considering Masvidal’s recent passion for the sweet science, it seems highly probable that he will seek a swift return to the squared circle.
While Helwani may not be an official matchmaker, he has an intriguing contender in mind for Masvidal’s comeback fight…
Helwani Sees KSI As Prime Matchup For Masvidal’s Next Boxing Bout
During a recent episode of The MMA Hour, Helwani explored potential opponents for Jorge Masvidal’s next boxing match, ultimately suggesting the possibility of pitting YouTuber-turned-boxer KSI against the former two-time UFC welterweight title challenger.
The Canadian combat sports journalist suggested that a fight with Masvidal would be significantly more intriguing than the scheduled 1 vs. 2 matchup against Slim Albaher and MMA veteran Anthony Taylor.
“I’ll tell you what, with all due respect, I would much rather see Jorge against KSI than KSI in this, you know, whatever, [1 vs.2],” Helwani said. “Actually, Jorge versus KSI is really interesting to me.”
Helwani further noted that the bittersweet past between Masvidal and KSI makes this matchup a more logical and compelling choice for both fighters.
“Remember, that was a thing that kind of happened a year and a half ago on the show, where they suggested it and they were kind of looking into it. I’m pretty sure KSI is on the okay list; you know, like, there’s this list that the UFC gave Jorge that he’s allowed to take fights with X, Y, and Z.”
Last July, in a conversation with Masvidal, Helwani broached the notion of arranging a boxing match with KSI. However, the 39-year-old Miami native swiftly dismissed any interest in squaring off against the British social media influencer.
The organization has granted him special permission to pursue boxing opportunities, and Masvidal has hinted at an inevitable return to the Octagon in the future.
Social media sensation KSI will return to the boxing ring this summer for a rare 2-on-1 boxing match. KSI,…
Social media sensation KSI will return to the boxing ring this summer for a rare 2-on-1 boxing match.
KSI, real name Olajide Olatunji, is no stranger to meeting two opponents on the same night. At the inaugural MF & DAZN X Series event in 2022, he squared off with Brandon Scott, better known by fans online as Swarmz, and Luis Alcaraz Pineda in back-to-back bouts, knocking out both opponents in the process.
However, on August 31, it will be a “handicapped tag team match” as KSI meets former Bellator standout and current Misfits Boxing light heavyweight champion, Anthony Taylor. Joining Taylor will be Misfits middleweight titleholder and undefeated YouTuber Slim Albaher.
The bout is expected to headline Misfits Boxing’s second-anniversary event in Dublin.
KSI is fighting Slim and Anthony Taylor in a 2v1 handicap match on August 31 in Dublin pic.twitter.com/78LCwgrrOI
Anthony Taylor and Slim Albaher Respond to the KSI’s challenge
It didn’t take long for Anthony Taylor to offer his response, accepting the challenge while naming off some of his more notable victories on the influencer boxing scene.
“You can’t spell GOAT without ‘AT.’ KSI I’m going to whoop your a**, ain’t nothing you can do. I already beat Salt Papi, I already beat King Kenny, I’m the f*cking conqueror.”
“2v1 lmao. I’d knock his lights out by myself. If this is my only chance after chasing KSI for years then I’m sorry AT you ain’t getting Tagged. Let’s make it happen.”
Though he has won a handful of exhibition boxing bouts dating back to 2022, his official record is 1-1, featuring a split decision victory over his Prime Hydration partner Logan Paul in 2019 followed by a unanimous decision loss at the hands of Tommy Fury four years later. Of course, Fury is the same fighter who handed Jake Paul his first career loss inside the squared circle.
KSI calls out Wayne Bridge
KSI calls out Wayne Bridge 
Conor McGregor is ready to fight KSI. The Irish megastar hasn’t stepped foot inside the Octagon for more than…
(@ayeejuju) 
Turki Alalshikh has zero interest in promoting a fight between Jake Paul and KSI. Alalshikh, Chairman of the General…
KSI has called off his 2-on-1 boxing fight which was scheduled to headline Misfits 17 on August 31 and…
Social media sensation KSI will return to the boxing ring this summer for a rare 2-on-1 boxing match. KSI,…
